Radio Atlantic, IA – AM 1220

Additional details on suicide of Mt. Ayr murder suspect released

January 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

KCCI-TV in Des Moines is confirming a report we first reported here on KJAN.com, that the Mt. Ayr murder suspect is dead. Officials say a man matching the description of 40-year old Robert Daren Taylor, of Mt. Ayr, shot himself in front of a Freemont deputy this (Friday) afternoon. The Freemont County Sheriff said his deputy spotted the Ford pickup Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents were looking for around 4 p.m. on Interstate 29 near mile marker 8.

The sheriff told KCCI when his deputy approached the vehicle, the man inside opened his car door, faced the deputy and shot himself. Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents told the station the man who shot himself matches the description of Taylor, but they could not confirm his identity without an autopsy. However, according to scanner traffic by law enforcement monitored by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson, a Medical Examiner who arrived on the scene was said to have acknowledged Taylor was the man who died.

Taylor was wanted by law enforcement in the death of 45-year Lori Yeager, who agents said lived with Taylor. Yeager and Taylor’s 9-year-old daughter called 911 just after 2 a.m. Friday to report a fight between the two. When authorities arrived they said they found Yeager dead and Taylor missing.